Extractor for extracting or separating cut or partially cut pieces from a non-continuous sheet, web or blank

ABSTRACT

An extraction apparatus for extracting or separating cut or partially cut pieces or parts from a non-continuous, cut sheet, web or blank at an extraction station comprises: a sheet gripping and moving device for gripping and moving a cut or partially cut sheet through an extraction station; and an extraction bar or roller at the extraction station positioned for movement transversely of a cut sheet and being constructed, arranged and operated to move transversely of the path of movement of the cut sheet when the leading edge scrap web of the cut sheet is adjacent the extraction bar or roller to engage and deflect the scrap web of the cut sheet passing through the gripping and moving device away from the cut pieces or parts.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] The present invention relates generally to the extraction orseparation of cut or partially cut pieces or other parts from anon-continuous sheet, web or blank of cut material, having the pieces orparts cut into the web, sheet or blank, by various methods such as,steel rule die, male female tooling, laser, traveling knife and waterjet.

[0003] 2. Description of the Prior Art

[0004] In the converting industry, and in particular in the flat stockblanking and die cutting industry, it is a common requirement toseparate cut parts from the sheet, web or blank from which the partshave been cut. Various methods are used to effect this separation.

[0005] In low volume operations, it is a common practice to separate theparts from the sheet or web manually, i.e., the sheet or web is twistedand the parts are poked out by hand to break the parts out of the scrapmatrix and drop them in a collection vessel. The requirement for manuallabor, the slowness of the process and the inability to maintain partsequence are deficiencies in this commonly used separation method.

[0006] In higher volume cutting operations, it is common practice toposition the recently cut sheet or web in a knock-out station, whereinmale or female knock out members are actuated to blank or knock theparts out of the sheet or web and onto a catch table. The scrap matrixis then removed from the blanking or knock-out station and discarded.Knock-out stations effectively remove parts from the scrap matrix, buttheir shape is job specific requiring a uniquely contoured male orfemale blanking or knock-out station for each cut line pattern. A seconddeficiency of knock-out stations, in particular for sheet processing, istheir inability to shingle the parts in a shingle stack after knockingthem out. This is because sheet edges are used to position sheets in theknock-out station and thus the entire sheet must be blanked or knockedout at one time. The inability to shingle stack parts makes theprocessing of sequential parts, such as membership cards, impracticalwith a knock out procedure, and the parts collection process, ingeneral, clumsy.

[0007] Another method used to separate the scrap matrix from parts, arerotating “stripper pin wheels”. In this method, rotating wheels equippedwith barbed pins are positioned directly below the scrap web. As thematerial moves, the barbed pins penetrate the scrap web of the web orsheet, continuously revolving to pull away the scrap. The parts keepmoving straight ahead, while the scrap is pulled down and away from theparts. Once the scrap web, sheet or blank is pulled below the parts, thescrap web is scraped off the barbed pins, and dropped into a scrap bin.A shortcoming of this method is that relatively soft material into whichthe barbed pins can penetrate is required. Moreover, although scrap thatruns parallel to the material feed direction can be stripped away, scrapcross bars (scrap or trim running perpendicular to the material feeddirection) cannot be stripped away.

[0008] Heretofore various analogous and non-analogous systems andstructures for extracting cut or partially cut parts from a sheet, webor blank have been proposed. Examples of previously proposed partextractors are disclosed in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No.Patentee 2,655,842 Baumgartner 3,889,863 Deslauriers 3,948,020 Deutschet al. 4,047,474 Lang 4,096,981 Martorano 4,109,842 Aquilla 4,467,948Deslauriers 5,197,938 Chmielewski 5,219,108 Mineki 5,470,004 Mineki

[0009] The Baumgartner U.S. Pat. No. 2,655,842 discloses a deflectorplate for deflecting downwardly the waste sheet from a sheet of diecuts.

[0010] The Deslauriers U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,863 discloses an edge rollerand a deflector plate for deflecting a die cut sheet.

[0011] The Deutsch et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,948,020 teaches aroller-shaped deflector or looping element. When a lever is pivotedcounterclockwise, as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 3 of this patent, thedeflector moves to a second position and causes a running web to form aloop in order to facilitate the replacement of the running web with afresh web.

[0012] The Lang U.S. Pat. No. 4,047,474 discloses a stripping stationfor removing waste portions which are apparently removed by a punchingoperation or a suction operation. Then, a leading edge portion isengaged by a gripping bar.

[0013] The Martorano U.S. Pat. No. 4,096,981 discloses an apparatus forstripping a continuous web of material from the marginal edge of a body.The stripping apparatus includes a pivotable deflecting plate locatedabove the path of movement of the continuous web for deflecting the trimfrom the die cut piece surrounding a die cut piece in the web anddirecting it toward a pair of separating rollers which then pull thetrim downwardly.

[0014] The Aquilla U.S. Pat. No. 4,109,842 discloses projectionstructures for engaging a side edge of a die cut sheet and moving itdownwardly, as best shown in FIG. 3 of this patent.

[0015] The Deslauriers U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,948 teaches a stripping belt,as best shown in FIG. 6 of this patent, for engaging and removingtrimmed waste from a die cut sheet.

[0016] The Chmielewski U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,938 teaches a similarstripping belt for removing a waste portion of a die cut sheet.

[0017] The Mineki U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,219,108 and 5,470,004 appear to havea deflector member (not numbered) for pushing an edge of a punched sheetinto a waste receptacle.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0018] It is an object or feature of the present invention to provide anew and improved extraction system for separating cut or partially cutparts from a scrap web, especially appropriate for non-continuous web orsheet processing.

[0019] Another object or feature of the present invention is to extractparts in such a manner that parts can be deposited and shingle stackedonto a conveyor.

[0020] Yet another object or feature of the present invention is tomaintain the sequence of the sequentially formed product or partssubsequent to the extraction of the parts from a scrap matrix in asheet, web or blank.

[0021] A still further object or feature of the present invention is toextract parts of different shapes and sizes without the need forknock-out elements specific to each part shape and size.

[0022] The foregoing and other objects or features of the invention areobtained with the method and apparatus described below.

[0023] In one preferred embodiment of the apparatus of the presentinvention there is provided a first pair of nip rollers which receivecut sheets or webs and an extraction roller which, when actuated, bendsthe leading edge of a cut sheet or web with sufficient radius to causethe cut parts to separate from the scrap sheet or web.

[0024] If desired, a second set of nip rollers are positioned to receivethe leading edge of the cut parts and assist to remove the parts fromthe scrap sheet or web while transporting and depositing the parts insequence onto a surface, such as a conveyor, in a shingle stackedmanner.

[0025] The apparatus may include motors, circuitry and software to timeand actuate the functions of the of nip rollers and the extractionroller. Alternately, the apparatus may be actuated and operated manuallysuch as with a foot pedal and hand crank.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0026]FIG. 1 is a perspective block schematic drawing of an extractionapparatus for separating cut or partially cut pieces or parts from anon-continuous cut sheet, web or blank and shows the cut sheet, web orblank about to enter an extraction station where cut pieces or parts areseparated from the sheet, web or blank and subsequently passed on to aconveyor in a shingle stacked manner.

[0027]FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1and shows a sensor positioned above a cut sheet, web or blank before itenters a first pair of nip rollers.

[0028]FIG. 3 is a perspective block schematic drawing of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1 and shows a cut sheet positioned between a first pair ofnip rollers.

[0029]FIG. 4 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 3and shows a cut sheet between a first set of nip rollers with theleading edge of the sheet under an extraction bar or roller.

[0030]FIG. 5 is a perspective block schematic view of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1 and shows an extraction bar or roller moving downwardlyagainst the leading edge scrap web of a cut sheet for initiatingextraction of the cut pieces or parts from the cut sheet, web or blank.

[0031]FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 5and shows a cut sheet directed downwardly by an extraction bar orroller, the cut part being held tangent to a first set of nip rollersand an extraction bar or roller being supported by a second set of niprollers to which it is coincident.

[0032]FIG. 7 is a perspective block schematic view of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1 and shows an extraction bar or roller directing thescrap, waste or trim of a cut sheet downwardly to extract the cut piecesor parts from the cut sheet with the cut pieces or parts travelingforwardly to a second, driven set of nip rollers which pull cut partsfrom the scrap web and guide the parts onto a conveyor.

[0033]FIG. 8 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7and shows the scrap, waste or trim of a cut sheet, minus the cut piecesor parts, being guided downwardly by an extraction bar or rollerpositioned adjacent the lower one of a set of nip rollers and the cutpieces or parts passing through a second set of nip rollers and onto aconveyor.

[0034]FIG. 9 is a perspective block schematic view of the apparatusshown in FIG. 1 and shows the cut pieces after they have completelypassed through a second set of nip rollers and onto a conveyor andstacked in a shingle stacked manner with the scrap, waste or trim of thecut sheet, web or blank falling to a collection station below the niprollers and below the extraction bar or roller and shows an extractionbar or roller in its raised position, as previously shown in FIG. 1,ready to receive a subsequent non-continuous cut sheet, web or blank.

[0035]FIG. 10 is a side elevational view of the apparatus shown in FIG.1 and shows the falling scrap, waste or trim of the cut sheet, web orblank with a first pair of nip rollers and the extraction bar or rollerready to receive a subsequent, non-continuous cut sheet, web or blank.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)

[0036] Referring now to the drawings in greater detail, there isillustrated schematically in FIG. 1 an extraction apparatus 10 forextracting or separating from a non-continuous cut or partially cutsheet, web or blank 12 at an extraction station 14, cut or partially cutpieces or parts 16 and for passing the pieces or parts 16 onto aconveyor 18 at a receiving station 20.

[0037] The non-continuous sheet, web or blank 12 is feed by conventionalsheet moving apparatus, e.g., a conveyor or sheet feeder, not shown,from right to left, as shown in FIG. 1 into the extraction station 14.

[0038] As shown, the cut sheet 12 is positioned between a first grippingand moving device 22, herein illustrated as nip rollers 24 and 26, atthe extraction station 14 and moved into a space 28 where an extractionbar or roller 36 separates the cut pieces 16 from the cut sheet, web orblank 12 which pieces, optionally, are then moved by a second grippingand moving device 30 onto a conveyor 18 at the receiving station 20. Thefirst pair 22 of nip rollers 24 and 26 grips the pieces or parts 16 tobe removed from the sheet. This grip keeps the pieces or parts 16tangent to the nip point on the periphery of each roller 24 and 26, andhelps prevent each piece or part 16 from bending down along with ascrap, waste or trim 62 of sheet 12 (simply scrap web 62), when themoving bar or roller 36 bends the scrap web 62.

[0039] The second gripping and moving device 30, herein illustrated asnip rollers 32 and 34, are located adjacent one end 40 of conveyor 18which receives the separated pieces 16 thereon for carrying them to theleft (viewing the assembly as shown in FIG. 1) for further processing.This optional second gripping and moving device 30 grabs leading edge 37of each piece or part 16 that has been separated from sheet 12 and helpsto pull the pieces or parts 16 from the sheet 12.

[0040] According to the teachings of the present invention, theextraction or deflection bar or roller 36 illustrated in the drawingsincludes a roller 42 freely mounted for rotation on a shaft 44 havingupturned lower ends 46 and 48 defining first and second piston rods orarmatures 46 and 48 which are received in first and second cylinders 50and 52 or solenoids 50 and 52 or mechanical levers 50 and 52 which areactuated to move the extraction bar or roller 36 up or down.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 2, in its at rest or quiescent position, theextracting or deflecting bar or roller 36 is located adjacent and behindthe upper roller 24 of the first pair 22 of nip rollers 24 and 26. Alsoas shown in FIG. 2, an optional sensor 56 senses the position of cutsheet 12 as it approaches the extraction station 14. Alternately, aseparate device, such as an automatic sheet feeder or a person handloading sheets in the extraction apparatus 10 may control materialposition to the extraction station 14 and trigger the extractionsequence by an electronic or mechanical device not shown.

[0042] A sensor 56 may be used to tell a system controller the positionof the sheet, by which signal a controller may close and activate thenip rollers 24 and 26, activate the moving roller 36 and open anddeactivate the sheet gripping and moving device 22. In the absence ofsensor 56, separate material positioning means, not shown, such as asheet feeder or a person hand loading, may control sheet position in theextraction apparatus 10 and activate, operate and deactivate materialgripping and moving devices 22 or 30.

[0043] When the leading edge 60 of the scrap web 62 is beneath theextraction bar or roller 36 bar or roller, moving mechanism 50 and 52are actuated to cause the shaft end rods 46 and 48 to move theextraction or deflection bar or roller 36 into engagement with theleading scrap edge 60 of the cut sheet 12 and bend the leading scrap,waste or trim portion 62 of the non-continuous sheet, web or blank 12,as shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

[0044] As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, after the extraction or deflection baror roller 36 moves, it is located past the path or travel of cut pieces16 in the space 28 between the first pair 22 of nip rollers 24 and 26and the second pair 30 of nip rollers 32 and 34 and behind and closelyadjacent the lower nip roller 26 of the first pair 22 of nip rollers 24and 26 such that the leading scrap web 60 is deflected around nip roller26 and gripped between extraction bar or roller 36 and the nip roller26.

[0045] A second pair 30 of nip rollers 32 and 34 optionally may besituated to support and prevent moving roller 36 from flexing even ifthe moving roller 36 is of a length and diameter such that it wouldotherwise, without the support, flex. This feature enables use of asmall diameter moving bar or roller (without sacrificing full scrap webbending and gripping across the entire sheet 12) which in turn permitsthe second or output pair 30 of nip rollers 32 and 34 to be situatedclose to the first or input pair 22 of nip rollers 24 and 26. Due to theshort distance 28 between the pair 30 of output nip rollers 32 and 34and the pair 22 of input nip rollers 24 and 26, sheets 12 of thin,flexible material and small pieces or parts 16 can be accommodated bythe extraction apparatus 10 because the flexible and small pieces orparts are able to span this short gap or space 28 between the pair 22 ofinput nip rollers 24 and 26 and the pair 30 of output nip rollers 32 and34 without drooping or falling below the nip point of the nip rollers 32and 34.

[0046] Then, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the extraction bending andmoving down of the scrap, waste or trim portion 62 of the cut sheet, webor blank 12 and extraction of is accomplished while the cut pieces orparts 16 are removed from the scrap waste or trim portion 62 isaccomplished by the extraction bar or roller 36 and by the rotationalmovement of roller 26 of the first pair 22 of nip rollers 24 and 26. Atthe same time, the cut or partially cut pieces or parts 16, which arebeing separated from the cut sheet, web or blank 12 are engaged andpulled by the second pair 30 of nip rollers 32 and 34, as shown in FIGS.7 and 8, onto the entry end 40 of conveyor 18 at the receiving station20. Conveyor 18 may advance at various speeds to and may be timed withthe extraction apparatus 10, to yield widely spaced to closely spacedshingled parts 16, with or without batch spaces. Alternately, whereparts 16 sequencing is not needed, the parts 16 may simply fall into acatch bin, not shown.

[0047] This process will continue until all of the scrap, waste or trim62 of the cut sheet, web or blank 12 has passed between the first pair22 of nip rollers 24 and 26 and is guided to a scrap collection station70 for receiving the scrap, web or trim 62.

[0048] After a time, for example when a cut sheet 12 is no longer sensedby sensor 56 or after a preset time, or when an operator releases apedal, the pistons, solenoids or mechanical levers 50 and 52 actuate toretract the end rods 46 and 48 to move the extraction or deflecting baror roller 36 to its initial position behind the upper roller 24 of thefirst 22 pair of nip rollers 24 and 26, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 9, 2 and10.

[0049] It will be understood that the deflecting or extracting bar orroller 36 will stay in this position until a subsequent cut sheet 12 ismoved into the space 28 as shown in FIG. 1, whereupon the process asdescribed above and shown in FIGS. 1-10 will repeat.

[0050] From the foregoing description, it will be understood that theextraction apparatus 10 of the present invention has a number ofadvantages, some of which have been described above and others of whichare inherent in the invention. For example, the extraction apparatus 10of the present invention can handle multiple parts per sheet; and it canhandle parts of various sizes and shapes. Further, the moving extractionbar or roller 36 of the present invention can move up and down, eitherfast or slow, and be of various sizes and textures.

[0051] Also, from the foregoing description, it will be apparent thatmodifications can be made to the extraction apparatus 10 of the presentinvention without departing from the teachings of the invention. Forexample, the extraction apparatus 10 of the present invention can have aseparate device to control the cut sheet 12 prior to extraction, namely,to deliver the cut sheet 12 to the extraction station 14 and trigger thegripping and moving device 22, namely, nip rollers 24 and 26 and theextraction bar or roller 36 to bend the leading scrap edge 60 of the cutsheet 12 without using a sensor 56. Also, different textures andhardness of the nip rollers or other gripping and moving devices, suchas belts, can be used in place of the pairs 22 and 30 of nip rollers.

[0052] Accordingly, the scope of the invention is only to be limited asnecessitated by the accompanying claims.

We claim:
 1. An extraction apparatus for extracting or separating cut orpartially cut pieces or parts from a non-continuous, cut sheet, web orblank at an extraction station comprising: means for gripping and movinga cut or partially cut sheet through said extraction apparatus; and anextraction bar or roller at said extraction station positioned formovement transversely of a cut sheet and being constructed, arranged andoperated to move transversely of the path of movement of the cut sheetwhen the leading edge scrap web of the cut sheet is adjacent saidextraction bar or roller to engage and deflect the scrap web of the cutsheet passing through said gripping and moving means away from the cutpieces or parts.
 2. The extraction apparatus of claim 1 wherein saidfirst gripping and moving means comprise a first pair of nip rollers. 3.The extraction apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a second grippingand moving means positioned downstream from the exit of said firstgripping and moving means for gripping and pulling and separating cutpieces or parts from the scrap web and through the extraction station.4. The extraction apparatus of claim 3 wherein said second gripping andmoving means comprises a pair of nip rollers which are positioned tosupport the extraction bar or roller and to prevent flexing of theextraction bar or roller.
 5. The extraction apparatus of claim 1 furthercomprising sensing means for sensing the position of the cut sheet andmeans for using the position of the sheet sensed by said sensing meansto cause movement of said extraction bar or roller when the leadingscrap web of the cut sheet is adjacent said extraction roller and toactivate and deactivate said gripping and moving means.
 6. Theextraction apparatus of claim 1 comprising conveyor means to receivesaid cut parts as said cut parts are extracted by said extractionapparatus.
 7. The extraction apparatus of claim 6 including controlmeans for setting the speed of movement of said conveyer to a speedrelative to the speed of movement of the extracted pieces, such that theextracted pieces are shingle stacked on said conveyor as they exit saidextraction apparatus.
 8. A method for extracting or separating cut orpartially cut pieces or parts from a non-continuous, cut sheet, web orblank at an extraction station comprising the steps of: gripping andmoving a cut sheet through said extraction station; and moving anextraction bar or roller at said extraction station transversely of thepath of movement of a cut sheet when the leading edge scrap web of thecut sheet is adjacent the extraction bar or roller to engage and deflectthe scrap web of the cut sheet passing through said gripping and movingmeans away from the cut pieces or parts, thereby separating cut parts orpieces from the scrap web.
 9. The method of claim 8 where said step ofgripping and moving is accomplished with a first set of nip rollers. 10.The method of claim 8 including the step of gripping and pulling cutpieces or parts from a scrap web at a position downstream from theposition of the first gripping and moving means to separate cut piecesor parts from the scrap web.
 11. The method of claim 8 where said stepof gripping and moving is accomplished with a second set of nip rollers.12. The method of claim 8 including the step of supporting theextraction bar or roller in such a manner as to prevent flexing of theextraction bar or roller.
 13. The method of claim 8 including thefurther step of sensing the position of the cut sheet and using theposition of the sheet sensed by a sensing means to move said extractionbar or roller when the leading scrap web of the cut sheet is adjacentsaid extraction roller and to activate and deactivate said gripping andmoving means.
 14. The method of claim 8 further comprising the step ofconveying the cut parts away from the extraction station.
 15. The methodof claim 14 wherein said conveying is performed at a speed relative tothe speed of movement of the extracted pieces, such that the extractedpieces are shingle stacked on a conveyor as they exit the extractionstation.